Display device.



l. M. CUTLER.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. 1914.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH cov, WASHXNGTON, D. cv

I. M. CUTLER.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. 1914.

PatentedSept. 7,1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 roams? WkW M w TED TATES PATENT UFFTCE ISABELLA M. CUTLER, OF SAW'IELLE, CALIFORNIA.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

fication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a new and 1mproved display device, referrlng more particularly to the type of device wherein mechanism is provided for selecting and displaying a card or similar element, containing information in either printed or pictorial form.

It is the object of my invention, among other things, to improve such mechanism by materially reducing the number of parts, and by designing them so that they may be economically constructed, readily assembled and capable of withstanding very rough usage, whereby a machine is produced that is manufactured at the minimum cost and has all of the advantageous features of the present machine without any of its disadvantages.

To these, and other ends, my invention consists in the displaydevice, having certain details of construction, and combina tions of parts as will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference designate like parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of my improved machine; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof; Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of the locking dial; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the upper portion of the locking finger; Fig. 5 is a plan view of that portion of the locking finger shown in Fig.

4:; Fig. 6 is a plan view of one corner of the card carrier; Fig. 7 is a sectional view thereof upon line AB of F ig. 6; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the lower portion of the curtain and the upper portion of one of the cards with the selective mechanism connected therewith; Fig. 9 is a side view of a portion of the cards and the selective mechanism connected therewith; Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail view of the curtain shaft and the mechanism connected therewith; and Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a modified form of a detail of my invention; and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7,1915.

Application filed February 19, 1914. Serial N 0. 819,699.

Fig. 12 is a view of a portion of the carriage locking mechanism.

The numeral 1 designates the case having a base portion 2 and a curtain portion 3 with a display opening 4 in the front thereof. The curtain 5 has a selector bar 6 at tached to its lower end and is slidable within a groove 7 in the case. This curtain has one or more flexible cords or tapes 8 connected therewith that pass over the rotatably mounted idler wheels 9, and are con nected near the bottom of the case with the sheave wheels 10 fixed upon a shaft 11 rotatably mounted within the journal blocks 50. When up, the curtain entirely uncovers the opening l, and the sheave wheels 10 are of such relative size that a very limited number of rotations thereof wind up the tapes 8 sufliciently to move the curtain from its down to its up position. The selector bar 6 is heavy enough to lower the curtain by gravity and thereby rotate the shaft 11 when no power is exerted upon the, same in the opposite direction.

The information cards 18, of metal, paper, card-board, or similar material, are connected by one or more clips 19 to the rods 20, that terminate at their outer ends in the lifter bars 22 and the intermediate'bar 21. The mechanism for holding the cards 18 comprises a carriage 12 that is rectangular in form and of very much less height than the cards, one corner of which is shown in Fig. 6, wherein the numeral 13 indicates a portion of the front plate, and the numeral 14 a portion of one of the side plates. This carriage is slidably mounted upon the rails 15 secured upon the inside of the case. The side plates 14 are provided with a plurality of equally spaced recesses 16 in their top face and similar connecting recesses 17 upon their inner face. These cards are mounted in, and are movable with, the carriage, one edge thereof being in the recesses 17, and the intermediate bar 21 within the recess 16, in which position the cards are equally spaced in relation to each other, and held against movement by the engagement of the cards with the recesses 17, and the lifter bars 22 and intermediate bar 21 with the recesses 16, in which position the lifter bars 22 are parallel with each other and in substantially the same horizontal plane. The selector bar 6 is notched at 23 to permit the lifter bars 22 to pass therethrough and the lip 24, having a concavedrecess 25 in its upper surface, to pass thereunder. As the curtain is raised, the lip 24 engages one of the lifter bars 22, and carries with it the card 18 connected therewith and presents it in front of the The-indicating characters upon the ring 31, and the cards 18 in the carriage, are equal in number. The arrangement of the cards within the carriage is such that when the finger 33 registers with a character upon the ring 31, the carriage has been moved to a position wherein the card corresponding to the indicated character is beneath the cur tain 5 As the curtain is now raised the desired card will be lifted in the carriage and displayed through the opening 4. It will be observed that these cards are suspended within the carriage, the width of the carriage being comparatively short when compared'with the length of the cards. Heretofore the carriage has extended to the bottom of the case and entirely surrounded the card.

Such carriages have proven heavy and cumbersome, are diflicult to move, and are costly to manufacture. In my carriage there is very much less metal and it is necessarily materially lighter in weight, and is produced at a relatively low cost when compared with the other type.

The'curtain is raised through the action of the lever 34 that is pivotally mounted upon a fixed standard 35, having a locking finger 36. thereon and a screw 37 therethroughsthat is shiftable lengthwise within a slot (not shown) and held in its adjusted positions by the nuts 38-38, a second lever 39 pivotally mounted'in a fixed standard 40 and connected with the band disk 51, rotatable upon the shaft 11, by a flexible band 41, with an adjustable counter-weight 42 thereon, and a locking dial '43 fixed to the shaft 25. Near the upper end of the locking finger '36 is a notch 44, slightly greater in Width than the thickness of the locking dial 43, and provided with beveled faces 45 that correspond in shape and angle with the notches 46 in the said dial 43. The notches 46 correspond in number with the characters upon the ring 31. A guide rod 52, fixed to the case and having a loop 56 that surrounds the stud upon the locking finger 36, holds the locking finger steady and against displacement. Surrounding the shaft 11 and connecting the sheave wheels 10 with the band disk 51, are-the coil springs 53, for a purpose hereafter to be described. The lever 34 may be operated by foot power exerted upon the plate 47 or by other means, if desired, the essential requirement being that it be pressed downwardly after the indicator finger 33 registers with the desired character upon the dial 31. At this time the beveled faces 45 upon the locking finger 36 enter one of the notches 46 and lock all of the parts connected with the shaft 25against movement, and the lever 39 is actuated upon its pivot mounting through the screw 37, and the band disk 51 (shaft 11) is rotated by the pull upon the flexible band 41, which in turn winds up the springs 53. At the completion of the rotation of the band disk, the springs 53 unwind and rotate the shaft 11 and the sheave wheels 10, and through the cords or tapes 8 the curtain is raised, and with it one of the cards 18. A shifting of the screw 37 varies the extent of movement of the lever 39, and through it the movement of the shaft 11. As a display device of this character is often located in public places the lever 34 is frequently operated very roughly, and to prevent this affecting the operation of the parts and the raising of the curtain with a shock or too sudden movement, the coil springs 53 are utilized, which absorb the shock. Their winding also stirs up sufficient power to operate the curtain and raise it slowly as they unwind and after the shock or blow has spent its force. Instead of the springs 53 to absorb the shock I can substitute another element to accomplish the same purpose. This element comprises a dash port mechanism to retard the action of the lever 34 and comprises a cylinder 62 fixed to the case and having port 57 in the head thereof, a piston 58 pivotally connected with the said lever, a piston head 59, and a washer 60. By this mechanism the speed of action of the lever 34 is determined by the diameter of the cylinder and the area of the ports therein. When this dash port mechanism is used, the band disk 51 is fixed to the shaft 11 instead of running free thereon, as above described.

A suitable opening 49 is provided for the lever 34 to pass therethrough, whether operated by foot or by hand, and in either case the upper edge of the opening forms a stop to limit the upward movement of the lever 34, when the notch 44 registers with the dial 43, thereby permitting the shaft 25 to be rotated. Y

Means are provided to insure the proper alinement of the carriage with the curtain and to lock the same temporarily in such alined position, said means comprising a dog 54, having a pointed end, and slidably mounted in the same groove (7 as the selector bar 6, a bell crank 59 pivotallymounb ed upon the inside of the case 1, one arm of which is connected to the said dog and the other arm, through a rod 58 with a bell crank 60, also pivotally mounted upon the inside of the case 1, and a rod 61 connecting the bell crank 60 with the lever 34. As the lever 34 is depressed and is about to arrive at the limit of its downward movement the dog 54 enters one of the recesses 16 and holds the carriage in such position that the selector bar 6 is in register with one of the cards 18. The pointed end of the dog 54 facilitates the entrance of the said dog into the said recesses. This alinement mechanism is not necessary to the complete and satisfactory opera-tion of my device, but is used only to insure a more certain operation of its parts. 1

Certain types of this machine are us'ed with a platform, upon which the operator stands, and my mechanism is adapted for this type of machine by substituting a platform for the plate 47. 7

There are minor changes and alteration that may be made within my invention, aside from those herein suggested, and I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, but clalm all that falls fairly within the spirit and scope of my invention. I, I

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z 1. In a display device; a case having an opening therethrough; a curtain; a lever pivotally mounted to a fixed memberat one end and within said case and pro ectmg through said case at the other end; a secondary lever, also pivotally mounted to a fixed member; an operative connection between said levers whereby the movement of one lever is transmitted to the other; a rotary shaft; an operative connection between said secondary lever and shaft; and a connection between said curtain and shaft.

2. In a display device; a case having an opening therethrough; a curtain; a lever pivotally mounted to a fixed member at one end Within said case and projecting through said case at the other end; a secondary lever, also pivotally mounted to a fixed member; the number to which the said lever is pivotally connected and that to which the secondary lever is connected being at opposite ends of the case; an operative connection between said levers whereby the movement of one lever is transmitted to the other; a rotary shaft; an operative connection between said secondary lever and shaft; and a connection between said curtain and shaft.

3. In a display device; a case having an opening therethrough; a curtain; a lever pivotally mounted at one end to a fixed member and projecting through said case; a secondary lever, pivotally mounted to a fixed member; an operative connection between said levers adjustable at a right angle to said levers and toward and away from their pivot mountings whereby the movement of one lever is transmitted to the other; a rotary shaft; an operative connection between said secondary lever and shaft; and a connection between said curtain and shaft.

4. In a display device; a case having an opening therethrough; a curtain; a lever pivotally mounted to a fixed member and projecting through said case; a secondary lever pivotally mounted to a fixed member; a counter-balance weight adj ustably secured to said secondary lever; an operative connection between said levers whereby the movement of one lever is transmitted to the other; a rotary shaft; an operative connection between said secondary lever and shaft and a connection between said curtain and shaft.

5. In a display device; a case having an opening therethrough; a curtain movable within said case opposite said opening; a plurality of cards; a selector bar connected with said curtain; a carriage for carrying said cards; means for moving said carriage so as to bring a predetermined card into register with said select-or bar and curtain, comprising a shaft, having a pinion attached thereto; a rack connected with said carriage, and having an operative connection with said pinion; means for operating said curtain and the selector bar connected there with, to lift a predetermined card from said carriage and expose it through said opening, comprisinga rotary shaft; a connection between said last mentioned shaft and curtain; lever mechanism through which said last mentioned shaft is rotated in one direction; and means for locking said first mentioned shaft against rotation while the lever mechanism is operating said last mentioned shaft.

6. In a display device; a case having an opening therethrough; a curtain movable within said case opposite said opening; a plurality of cards; a selector bar connected with said curtain; a carriage for carrying said cards; means for moving said carriage so as to bring a predetermined card into register with said selector bar and curtain, comprising a rotary shaft, having a pinion attached thereto; a rack c0nnected with said carriage, and having an operative connection with said pinion; means for operating said curtain and the selector bar connected therewith, to lift a predetermined card from said carriage and expose it through said opening, comprising a rotary shaft; a connection between said last mentioned shaft and curtain; lever mechanism through which said last men- &

. tioned shaft is rotated in one direction; and

means for locking said first'mentioned shaft against rotation while the lever mechanism is in operation, said means comprising a locking member connected with said lever mechanism and engaging a part upon said first mentioned shaft.

7 In a display device; a-case having an opening therethrough; a curtain movable within said case opposite'said opening; a plurality of cards; a selector bar connected with said curtain; a carriage for carrying said cards; means for moving said carriage so as to bring a predetermined card into register with said selector. barand curtain, comprising a shaft, having a pinion attached thereto; a rack connected with said carriage, and having an operative connection with said pinion; means for operating Oopies of this patent may be obtained for ger connected with said lever mechanism, and during its movement registering with a notch in said locking dial.

8. In a display device, the combination with a case, having an opening therethrough; of a plurality of cards; a curtain movable within said case and during its movement carrying with it one of said cards and exposing it through said opening; means for operating said curtain, comprising a r0- tary shaft; a connection between said shaft and curtain; a primary lever; a secondary lever deriving its motion from the primary lever; a connection between said secondary lever and shaft ;'a carriage; means for moving said carriage comprising a rotary shaft; a pinion and rack connection between said last mentioned shaft and carriage; and means for preventing the rotation of said last mentioned shaft during the actuation of said lever, said means comprising a locking dial connected with said last mentioned shaft; and a locking finger fixed to saidprimary lever and having engagement with said locking dial.

In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses. 7 ISABELLA M. CUTLER.

Witnesses:

A. B. RITGHEY, W. C. CUTLER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner. of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

